To change, I think again about Twist and Shout, we talked about before with Hello Goodbye. It's a Rhythm and Blues hit composed in 1961 by Phil Medley and Bert Berns aka Bert Russel. The song was first recorded by The Top Notes (Atlantic A-5359, 08.1961), with Phil Spector as producer. But Bert Russel hates the result. He thought that Spector had ruined the song.

This first version, which the melodic structure reminds mexican bamba, has not really been successful, but it will change in 1962, when Bert Berns offers the song to the Isley Brothers and this time decided to produce it himself. He demonstrate to Spector how he wished that the record sounds. The style changes then clearly, and slowly but surely, we slide towards the Rock!

Result more than convincing : No. 2 on the US R&B charts, and No. 17 on the U.S. pop top 40 charts ! It’s the first Isley Brothers’hit (Wand 124, 16.06.1962). No wonder therefore, that the Beatles had decided to play Twist and Shout on stage!

The Fab’4 recorded the song on 11.02.1963 for the Please Please Me album. They were back in the studio later in the evening, after a coffee break, ready to give their most stunning rock’n’roll performance of all time. In the control room, an incredible effect had been marked on the technicians and sound engineers who were led in the mood!

I chose to post the Decca version because Pete Best used some imagination by making use of his toms (I suppose I'll get into trouble by saying that, now). He added a Crickets air to the song, reminiscent of Peggy Sue, by doing so.

None of the released versions of Buddy Holly's Crying, Waiting, Hoping included The Crickets, however, just studio musicians and singers. During the 1960s, we had a few posthumous Buddy Holly releases. The experience was very much like the releases of Free As A Bird and Real Love.

Buddy Holly recorded several songs before his death which made possible those 1960s releases. Here's Crying, Waiting, Hoping as Buddy Holly recorded it in his New York City apartment...

Little Richard's my favourite out of those you listed and boy, did Paul do justice to his songs in his prime. I mean, Long Tall Sally? Kansas City? Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey? Lucille? That's some of the most kick-ass, intoxicating rock 'n' roll the band has ever cut. A vocal duet between the two would have worked out great.

You took the words right out of my mouth, Ovi. (I feel like I'm always "me-too"-ing you.) Little Richard got my vote, too. I never thought I'd hear a cover of Long Tall Sally that would even come close to Little Richard's version, but boy does Paul sing it well.

Didn't the Beatles meet Little Richard in the UK just as their career was taking off, but he wouldn't play because he'd forsaken rock music for the ministry? I'm sure I read that somewhere, just can't remember where (and I'm too tired to Google it at the moment).

Didn't the Beatles meet Little Richard in the UK just as their career was taking off, but he wouldn't play because he'd forsaken rock music for the ministry? I'm sure I read that somewhere, just can't remember where (and I'm too tired to Google it at the moment).

I just adore the look on Paul's face in this one. He's in the presence of his idol! I thought of this as I read the passages in the Lewisohn book that discuss the impact those records of his had on the all the Beatles as young kids.

Yes, you're right, I somehow got it into my head that they'd done more Carl numbers.The sheer amount of Chuck covers (not forgetting all those recorded by The Stones etc.) does beg the question, 'Why isn't Chuck Berry the richest man is the world?'

My daughters were just in LA on a school trip, and my younger daughter texted me a pic of Johnny Cash's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (or whatever it's called). Carl Perkins's star was just to the left of it. I was like "Ahhhh! What about Carl Perkins's star, right there?!" I texted back to her about how the Beatles covered a bunch of Perkins's songs and that I'd have to play those specific songs for her and her bother and sister when the girls got back.

Thanks for posting that, Barry. I'm rushing to finish up a manuscript but will watch it later. Saw the first few minutes and loved it.

Oh, duh, I just realized right now that you'd identified the time stamp. (It's been a bad week, ha ha!) Thank you. Just zipped forward to the Beatles discussion. I still plan to watch it in its entirety.

Hm, have to disagree with his contention that Mick Jagger brought the music of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf to mainstream America's attention. I'd give that credit to Eric Clapton.